Nathan Lanham, former Monongah Police Chief, resigned in 2024 following a controversial traffic stop and was later decertified as a law enforcement officer.
Nathan Lanham served as the police chief for the Town of Monongah, West Virginia, until August 2024. His tenure ended after a traffic stop on August 1, 2024, involving Beth Delloma, who was pulled over for an expired registration sticker. During the stop, Lanham, not in uniform or a marked vehicle, refused to show identification, pointed his service weapon at Delloma multiple times, and physically wrestled her to the ground when she attempted to leave for help. The incident was captured on video and went viral, drawing widespread public attention and criticism
WV MetroNews+3.
Following the incident, Delloma was initially charged with felony fleeing with reckless indifference, but the charges were quickly dismissed by Marion County Prosecutor Jeff Freeman, who stated there was no evidence supporting the felony claim
WV MetroNews+1. In response to the viral video and public outcry, Lanham resigned from his position as police chief on August 6, 2024, in lieu of termination
WV MetroNews+1.
Subsequently, the West Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Subcommittee (LEPSS) issued a stop-work order and reviewed Lanham’s law enforcement certification. In January 2025, LEPSS decertified him for conduct deemed unbecoming of a law enforcement officer, citing actions that jeopardized public trust. Lanham appealed the decision, but a hearing examiner upheld the decertification in May 2025, finding that his behavior during the incident demonstrated a pattern of misconduct
courtswv.gov.
The case highlights both the legal and professional consequences of excessive force and misconduct in law enforcement, as well as the role of oversight bodies like LEPSS in maintaining public trust and accountability within police departments
WV News+1.
Mr. Lanham was employed as the police chief for the Town of Monongah in Marion County, West Virginia. On August 1, 2024, Mr. …
